Social networking exploded with Facebook and most of us flocked to it like bees to a honey pot. Having an online identity became pretty much a no-brainer and the lure of catching up with all your friends and family from across the world in one place, getting updates about their life and checking out pictures of all their important events was too much to resist. It was a great idea and we loved it, adding all our long lost friends and near and distant relatives as a consequence.

The trouble, however, started amid growing concerns over security issues that we maybe letting on our private lives to more than just friends. Coupled with the realization that we may not really want our parents to check out pictures of that wild weekend party or our bosses to read that latest status update where we are cribbing about their unreal expectations, the need for a much more controlled online space opened up. Here, we present 12 apps that cater to the growing needs of a private social network.